Thomas Kean (left) and Lee Hamilton answer ed questions from the press after final public hearing by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States in 2004.

Written by

Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton

Twelve years ago this week the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaida launched four coordinated attacks on our country. We still mourn the 2,977 innocent victims killed that fateful morning when our nation was shaken to its very core.

Today, the threat of terrorism is dramatically different from 2001. The leadership of al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been decimated by drone strikes. Affiliates in Yemen and Somalia have suffered significant losses as a result of counterterrorism operations. The threat, however, is evolving, as outlined in a report, "Jihadist Terrorism: A Threat ...